Education

Allows schools to share homeless students' information for eye exams and dental screenings. Requires parental consent unless parents specifically opt out of health screenings in writing. Imposes $2,500 fines on private schools that misuse student directory information.

Requires the California Interscholastic Federation to prohibit students assigned male at birth from participating on girls' interscholastic sports teams. Mandates changes to CIF's constitution, bylaws, and policies to implement new gender-based participation restrictions. Takes precedence over any existing laws or regulations regarding sports team participation criteria.

Strengthens hiring standards for California community college personnel by requiring specific qualifications. Mandates minimum or alternative qualifications for all faculty, administrators, and support staff positions. Applies to roles including instructors, counselors, librarians, and program administrators.

Requires schools to track and report sports-related head injuries and concussions in high school athletics. Mandates a standardized form by January 2025 to document discrimination and injuries at school sporting events. Requires schools to post incident reporting forms on their websites by April 2025. Establishes public hearings every seven years to review athletic safety and discrimination reports.

Establishes a new state agency to accredit and oversee educational programs for veterans. Requires organizations offering veteran education awards to obtain authorization from the new state agency. Authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs to create and update regulations for veteran education programs.

Requires schools to develop policies limiting student smartphone use by July 1, 2026. Mandates schools to provide 400 minutes of physical education every 10 schooldays for most students. Reserves 5 percent of state preschool program spots for children with exceptional needs. Updates eligibility criteria for state preschool programs through July 1, 2027.

Requires California schools to use approved literacy teaching programs for teacher training by September 2026. Mandates new literacy instruction standards in administrative credential programs by September 2027. Ensures all teaching programs address diverse student needs including English learners and students with dyslexia. Requires certification of all administrative credential programs under new literacy standards by 2029.

Authorizes county boards to contract with local educational agencies to operate community and juvenile court schools. Requires detailed agreements between education and probation officials to support justice-involved youth. Mandates student evaluations within two business days of entering juvenile court schools. Requires public posting of all educational agreements on county education websites.

Increases monthly compensation for school board members from $1,500 to $7,500 maximum based on district size. Allows school boards to raise member compensation by up to 5% annually with board approval. Maintains reduced compensation for members who miss meetings unless absences are officially excused.

Establishes new state funding for transitional kindergarten programs in basic aid and small school districts. Requires funding allocation based on daily attendance starting in the 2025-26 school year. Guarantees annual funding from the General Fund to support transitional kindergarten programs. Ensures small schools can offer transitional kindergarten without cutting other programs.

Modifies charter school renewal standards to require evidence of academic improvement or strong college outcomes. Requires use of verified data for evaluating low-performing charter schools until new growth models are ready. Authorizes two-year renewals for struggling schools and five-year terms for higher-performing charters. Mandates state reimbursement to local agencies for costs of implementing these new requirements.

Authorizes colleges to build affordable student and staff housing in city centers using state loan funds. Allows universities to use up to 20% of their housing loan funds for downtown development projects. Maintains $300 million annual funding through 2029 for student housing construction loans. Preserves 75-25 split of funds between universities and community colleges with flexibility to adjust.

Requires schools serving grades 5-12 to conduct student wellness surveys every two years starting 2026. Mandates schools to create improvement plans if survey results show poor climate or safety metrics. Requires public presentation of improvement plans at board meetings and online posting within 30 days. Adds student survey results as a required measure of school climate in accountability plans.

Establishes a Pay-It-Forward program allowing UC and CSU students to attend college without paying upfront costs. Requires graduates to repay a percentage of their income instead of taking traditional student loans. Creates a dedicated fund from graduate repayments to support future students' education costs. Mandates UC and CSU campuses to enroll at least 10,000 students in the program by 2030.

Expands California school evaluations to include Cambridge International examinations as authorized assessment tools. Requires schools to include Cambridge International programs in educational counseling for grades 6-12. Authorizes school districts to provide financial assistance for Cambridge exam fees to students in need. Establishes Cambridge International Education as a recognized pathway for college preparation in California schools.

Establishes a new system for California community colleges to award credit for prior learning and work experience. Requires colleges to evaluate military service, certifications, and work experience for academic credit. Mandates credit transferability between all California community college districts. Requires the Chancellor to report credit award outcomes to the Legislature by September 2027.

Adds immigration enforcement activities to the list of emergencies that qualify schools for attendance-based funding protection. Requires schools to document decreased attendance from immigration activities through governing board affidavits. Ensures schools receive full funding as if attendance had not been impacted by immigration enforcement.

Renames and updates the state library law to focus on equitable access to digital and in-person services for all Californians. Establishes an 11-member oversight board to ensure libraries provide equal access to resources across diverse communities. Mandates libraries offer core services including broadband access, early learning programs, and education resources. Protects libraries from being forced to include or exclude specific materials or content.

Makes technical changes to the naming provision of the Teachers' Retirement Law.

Requires auditors of school districts to complete 24 hours of education in school-specific auditing by 2026. Mandates quality control reviews of charter school auditors every three years to ensure compliance. Establishes stricter peer review requirements for firms conducting school financial audits. Authorizes suspension of auditors who fail to meet professional standards for up to three years.

Establishes a new online Youth Employment System (YES) to digitally track student work permits statewide. Requires the State Department of Education to create the YES database by December 31, 2029. Mandates all student work permits be uploaded to YES starting with the 2030-31 school year.

Expands the definition of migrant regions to include school districts and county education offices. Takes immediate effect to improve the administration of migrant education programs. Maintains existing services for children who move frequently for agricultural or fishing work.

Protects in-state tuition rates for military dependents at California public universities even if their family member retires. Maintains resident status for military dependents who reenroll after their family member transfers out of state. Applies to natural, adopted, and stepchildren or spouses who are dependents of Armed Forces members.

Makes technical changes to community college job market study requirements.

Makes technical changes to provisions regarding emergency action plans for school athletic programs.